News Dabba for 17 March 2026: Five stories for a balanced news diet

Indie Journal brings you the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites. Here's a glance through some of the National and International news updates, from Pakistan's airstrike on Kabul rehabilitation hospital, LPG tanker Nanda Devi arriving at Gujarat Port, to SC removing child age cap for maternity leave in adoption cases.

SC removes child age cap for maternity leave in adoption cases: Hindustan Times

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declared as unconstitutional a legal provision that limited maternity leave for adoptive mothers to only those who adopt children below three months of age, Hindustan Times reports. While holding that, irrespective of the child’s age, all adoptive mothers will be entitled to 12 weeks of leave from the date of adoption, the court remarked that the provision was discriminatory both for the mother and child. The SC also urged the Union government to consider introducing paternity leave as a social welfare measure, the report adds. Read the full report here.

India slams airstrike on Kabul rehabilitation hospital, Indian Express reports

After Taliban-ruled Afghanistan said at least 400 were killed in a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, Indian Express reports that India on Tuesday condemned the attack as “barbaric” and a “heinous act of aggression” that blatantly violates Afghanistan’s sovereignty. A Taliban government spokesperson said at least 400 people were killed and 250 were injured in an air strike by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul. The report adds that Pakistan rejected the claim as false and misleading and said it “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure” on Monday night. Read the full report here.

The Straits Times: Thailand to start building border fences after Cambodia clashes

Thailand will start building fences along a portion of its border with Cambodia in April to boost security after deadly clashes between the countries erupted in 2025 following longstanding tensions. The Straits Times reports that the first barrier will cover 1.31km in Chanthaburi province along Thailand’s eastern border. The fencing at the area – a small part of the nearly 800km border between the two nations – is not part of territorial disputes and has Cambodia’s approval, the report adds. Read the full report here.

LPG tanker Nanda Devi arrives at Gujarat Port, NDTV reports

'Nanda Devi', an Indian tanker carrying about 46,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), arrived in Gujarat early Tuesday morning after safely navigating the Strait Of Hormuz, NDTV reports, making it the second LPG carrier arriving in India in two days. On Monday, Indian LPG carrier 'Shivalik', carrying about 40,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas, reached Mundra Port in Gujarat. Tehran has all but halted maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally pass, the report adds. Read the full report here.

BBC reports: US embassy in Iraq hit by drone strike as several Western leaders call for de-escalation in Lebanon

Drones and rockets have been launched at the US embassy in Iraq's capital Baghdad, in the second such attack of the war, BBC reports. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates reopens its airspace after missile and drone threats from Iran forced it to close briefly. The report says that US President Donald Trump continues to call on other nations, particularly Nato allies, to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route. Read the full report here.